From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Msuck: nntp://news.gmane.io/gmane.comp.tex.context/56527 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: James Fisher Newsgroups: gmane.comp.tex.context Subject: TeX syntax -- a guide? Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:39:14 +0000 Message-ID: <771da05a1002251239m1c776aday35037db145c030a6@mail.gmail.com> Reply-To: mailing list for ConTeXt users NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="===============0243031750==" X-Trace: dough.gmane.org 1267130366 8360 80.91.229.12 (25 Feb 2010 20:39:26 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@dough.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:39:26 +0000 (UTC) To: mailing list for ConTeXt users Original-X-From: ntg-context-bounces@ntg.nl Thu Feb 25 21:39:22 2010 Return-path: Envelope-to: gctc-ntg-context-518@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from balder.ntg.nl ([195.12.62.10]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1NkkUS-0007KM-NQ for gctc-ntg-context-518@m.gmane.org; Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:39:20 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by balder.ntg.nl (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2628AC9C2B; Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:39:20 +0100 (CET) X-Virus-Scanned: Debian amavisd-new at balder.ntg.nl Original-Received: from balder.ntg.nl ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (balder.ntg.nl [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with LMTP id PeQo+RHQiVYL; Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:39:17 +0100 (CET) Original-Received: from balder.ntg.nl (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by balder.ntg.nl (Postfix) with ESMTP id 68CCEC9BE2; Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:39:17 +0100 (CET) Original-Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by balder.ntg.nl (Postfix) with ESMTP id C0959C9BE2 for ; Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:39:16 +0100 (CET) X-Virus-Scanned: Debian amavisd-new at balder.ntg.nl Original-Received: from balder.ntg.nl ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (balder.ntg.nl [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with LMTP id A2WT3z9uUmDY for ; Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:39:14 +0100 (CET) Original-Received: from mail-wy0-f169.google.com (mail-wy0-f169.google.com [74.125.82.169]) by balder.ntg.nl (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8AC89C9BDC for ; Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:39:14 +0100 (CET) Original-Received: by wyb42 with SMTP id 42so1976540wyb.14 for ; Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:39:14 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:mime-version:received:date:message-id:subject :from:to:content-type; bh=6Iz+lOyBvYfkYu1BZkrDDyjhUQM/9A+vyIaLtI9MBc8=; b=h4yit+miUBplcOyJ429t4n1C+Pvp5X5MfiAQes6PJiUgjWtahAx6XtEAdGJnKO/N8C x3z2OC6x8ip/OV8vTUzbNwbQ8wrFza8Zc5xXLRUXCaAi5eFZc/lR1wGsqIiBCfm9rSj/ E5vcZGTfgbWDkahI7xRq6GuzES5nUcX2Vz00I= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:date:message-id:subject:from:to:content-type; b=C9GgtlKF9RK9pYa3hNesfadHkS2f+lEnNxELjNHAx+bRedBfy0PkzBx9Nks4ibKS1W w/+/GxjduEOAa/blGbjHwFpN0KFKw8kll4yRsXuS6bswaF1yWxOQZrV1Sv9d8Qiyp5PL ay6+/I2ZX/e28a38i3g5xt9t6LbTOS/Aqkr9g= Original-Received: by 10.216.88.139 with SMTP id a11mr235857wef.74.1267130354321; Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:39:14 -0800 (PST) X-BeenThere: ntg-context@ntg.nl X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.12 Precedence: list List-Id: mailing list for ConTeXt users List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: ntg-context-bounces@ntg.nl Errors-To: ntg-context-bounces@ntg.nl Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.comp.tex.context:56527 Archived-At: --===============0243031750== Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=0016e6d7e4b2a74d59048072c67a --0016e6d7e4b2a74d59048072c67a Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi, After a few days working in "do what the tutorials say" mode, I now want to understand TeX from a programmer's mindset. I have not been able just by practise to work out what the syntactic rules of TeX are, and I am hoping that there is a sensible guide to this somewhere. However, searches for things like "tex syntax" draw a blank. Some of the things I want to understand, for example, are: (1) what is the distinction between square brackets and curly brackets after a command? (2) Why are there sometimes lists of square-bracketed lists after a command, each with lists of seeming arguments inside them? (2) What exactly are the "variables" in a TeX file? (I've seen variable-like things sometimes referred to just plainly, sometimes with preceding backslashes as if they were commands/macros). (4) Why can't I end a square-bracketed section with a final square-bracket on a line of its own, as I may do in other programming languages? (5) How are things like \subsection, \subsubsection, \subsubsubsection, ... implemented? I am used to languages in which there is only a finite set of commands; why is the logic here not more like \section[level=1], \section[level=2], ... ? (6) Perhaps I'm misunderstanding things and all this isn't actually the fundamental syntax of TeX but just adhoc syntax defined by various macros doing different things -- is this the case; to what degree can macros define syntax? Obviously I don't expect answers to all these here, but can someone point me to somewhere on the 'net that could answer them? The only other possibilities I can see are buying an expensive copy of the TeXbook, etc. Thanks all, James Fisher --0016e6d7e4b2a74d59048072c67a Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi,


After a few days working in "do what the tutorials say&= quot; mode, I now want to understand TeX from a programmer's mindset.= =A0 I have not been able just by practise to work out what the syntactic ru= les of TeX are, and I am hoping that there is a sensible guide to this some= where.=A0 However, searches for things like "tex syntax" draw a b= lank.=A0 Some of the things I want to understand, for example, are: (1) wha= t is the distinction between square brackets and curly brackets after a com= mand?=A0 (2) Why are there sometimes lists of square-bracketed lists after = a command, each with lists of seeming arguments inside them?=A0 (2) What ex= actly are the "variables" in a TeX file? (I've seen variable-= like things sometimes referred to just plainly, sometimes with preceding ba= ckslashes as if they were commands/macros).=A0 (4) Why can't I end a sq= uare-bracketed section with a final square-bracket on a line of its own, as= I may do in other programming languages?=A0 (5) How are things like \subse= ction, \subsubsection, \subsubsubsection, ... implemented?=A0 I am used to = languages in which there is only a finite set of commands; why is the logic= here not more like \section[level=3D1], \section[level=3D2], ... ?=A0 (6) = Perhaps I'm misunderstanding things and all this isn't actually the= fundamental syntax of TeX but just adhoc syntax defined by various macros = doing different things -- is this the case; to what degree can macros defin= e syntax?

Obviously I don't expect answers to all these here, but can someone= point me to somewhere on the 'net that could answer them? The only oth= er possibilities I can see are buying an expensive copy of the TeXbook, etc= .


Thanks all,


James Fisher
--0016e6d7e4b2a74d59048072c67a-- --===============0243031750== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline ___________________________________________________________________________________ If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki! maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-context webpage : http://www.pragma-ade.nl / http://tex.aanhet.net archive : http://foundry.supelec.fr/projects/contextrev/ wiki : http://contextgarden.net ___________________________________________________________________________________ --===============0243031750==--